Review: Love for Beginners (Wildstone #7) by Jill Shalvis

What would you change if you had to start your life—and love life—over again?

When Emma Harris wakes up from a coma she learns that her fiancé and her BFF have fallen in love, she’s lost her job, and the life she knew is gone. Overwhelmed but grateful to be alive she starts over from scratch. Not as easy as it sounds, of course. But she’s never been a quitter, even if she wishes she could quit rehab, where her hot but evil physical therapist, Simon, puts her through the wringer. 

Eager for a new beginning, Emma opens a doggy day care. Unfortunately, the only space she can afford is owned by her childhood nemesis Ali Pratt. But hey, she’s been through worse, right? She tries to roll with the punches, but a friend drops his grandpa off at the doggy day care in desperation then on top of that, she and Ali bring the term ‘frenemies’ to a whole new level. And then another grandparent shows up. And another.

In the midst of all that, Emma realizes she’s accidentally fallen for Evil PT. But the most horrifying thing of all is that Ali just might have turned into the best friend she’s ever had. And as Emma grows from the pain of her past and takes on her new path, she comes to realize that life isn’t what you’re given, it’s what you make of it. 

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What I thought about Love For Beginners

Jill Shalvis once again does a great job delivering the seventh story in this Wildstone series. Part women's fiction, part romance, I'm always enchanted with the heroes and heroines (and family) of the little coastal town of Wildstone.

Emma is recovering from a serious accident which included months in a coma, multiple surgeries and hours of physical therapy. There's a broken engagement, too. But she's making progress physically and mentally post accident.

Simon has been working just as hard as Emma. His dad is recovering from two strokes, and keeps Simon on his toes and tired. His cousin Alison helps out whenever she can. I really loved the family dynamic here and how loyalty was important to them.

And everyone can see that Emma and Simon have strong feelings for each other, but both Simon and Emma have things holding them back that need to be resolved. I did love Emma's strong attitude and sense of self as Simon makes some questionable decisions for both of them.

What I really loved in this story was Alison and Emma's story. Alison's journey as an introvert was one I think resonated with me the most. I loved how their friendship developed and there's some great banter and some real caring between these two. The lessons learned from Paw Pals are pretty amazing too.

Overall, I'd give this a 4.5 stars if I could. I loved the relationships in Love for Beginners, especially the friendship between Alison and Emma. Another entertaining story in the Wildstone series.

ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Facebook: @JillShalvis

Twitter: @JillShalvis

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

 

Release Week Reviews: Goalkeeper by Andi Burns & Snowballed by Melanie Ting

GOALKEEPER by Andi Burns

Release Date: June 7, 2021
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

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Moo U Hockey

Winning games has always been his focus, but will winning her heart become the ultimate goal?

Everyone at Moo U knows the party doesn’t start until Paige Underwood arrives. Not only is she beautiful, she’s fun and charming too. Guys want to date her, and girls want to be her best friend. All Paige wants is to have a good time and make videos for her beauty channel--and maybe get that girl down the hall to do her eyeliner correctly. Is that too much to ask? 

According to her parents, yes. They’ve said the party’s over and that it’s time to get focused.

Spencer Briggs knows all about focus. He’s had one goal since he set foot on the ice as a kid: make it to the NHL. After years of hard work and endless practice, he’s the starting goalie for Moo U and mere steps away from his dream. He can’t afford distractions, and isn’t interested in relationships. And he definitely can’t afford to flirt back with the gorgeous girl in his lit class. 

He needs to stay serious. She needs to get serious. But now serious sparks are flying . . . 

What I thought about Goalkeeper

Goalkeeper Spencer Briggs doesn't mess around with his future. He's got his special diet, his practice schedule and a father that just won't let him forget anything he does wrong. Destined for the NHL, he can't make the mistakes of his last year when he partied a little too much and had to drop classes. He's back on track and laser focused on hockey.

Until he meets Paige Underwood. Paige is the life of the party and all around good friend and good sport. When she meets a reluctant Spencer at a hockey house party, they share a blistering kiss during a drinking game. But then everything explodes and Spence knows he messed up. Lucky for him,Paige might just be interested too and he gets a second chance.

I really liked this opposites attract romance. Spence is shy and reserved -- Paige is outgoing and can talk to anyone. When they end up partners in a speech course together, they are able to explore the attraction between them. Turns out they have great chemistry and Spence and Paige are very happy to be together. Spence's dad doesn't quite share their enthusiasm. But this story is really about two very driven people and their discovery of what they love most and what they want their future to look like as much as this is a lovely love story between two seemingly different people.

I loved this story. There's a good mix of light and dark and the heavier moments are justified and handled well by the romantic leads. Goalkeeper was the first book in a very long time that brought happy tears to my eyes with it's wonderfully cute ending. It is really a star in the Moo U lineup of stories in the World of True North.

Snowballed by Melanie Ting

 

Cover Design: Christine Coffey
Release Date: June 7, 2021

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Moo U Hockey

She needs Prince Farming . . . but she got me instead.

Sure, life’s been easy for me. Growing up in an oceanside house in SoCal, playing top-level college hockey, driving a luxury car with a generous allowance—sounds like the dream, right? Turns out what I didn’t have was freedom. And when I decided to transfer to Moo U for my last year of hockey, my controlling father cut me off. 

No money, no car, no friends. I’m just another student struggling to make ends meet. The only place I can afford to live is the Meyers’ farm, where I’ll work in exchange for room and board. Farm work is so exhausting that I don’t even have time to wallow in the crappy turn my life has taken. Zoe Meyers is a hot blonde Amazon with all the energy of a chipmunk on crack. And her positivity is making me realize how lucky I really am, even though I’m broke. Too bad she’s not impressed by a guy who can’t figure out which end of a goat to milk.

Because suddenly I want to impress her. I want to do a lot more with her too . . . if I can get her out of the barn and into my arms. 

What I thought about Snowballed

When Noah Goodwin decides to take Coach Keller up on an offer that takes his hockey career in a new direction, his family cuts him off financially and he's left to fend for himself. Good thing he can get room and board in exchange for helping out at a local farm. How hard could it be?

Zoe Meyers is in a tough spot. Her beloved farm is in danger of being sold if she can't handle the day to day operations of running a small hobby farm. She just wasn't expecting some cocky, egotistical college student would want to take the job, especially one that looks like a hockey god in the flesh.

Things are a little rocky to start between them. He calls her Cracky -- she talks like she's a chipmunk on crack, but a really nice friendship develops between Zoe and Noah as they share rides, meals and chores on the farm. But these two will have some challenges in maintaining their relationship.

I really liked the way their friendship developed in a slow burn sort of way. Noah is so very mature to Zoe's inexperience. There was an immaturity to Zoe's character that made it hard at times to see these two characters going long term in the relationship. There is also an age and experience gap. To me, this was very much a "happy for now" rather than "happily ever after" story.

Don't get me wrong. Snowballed was a quick and sometimes steamy read (with some slow spots). I liked Noah and Zoe, I just had a hard time believing in them as a long term couple, which is why I'm rating this four stars.

Cover Reveal: Deliver Us From Evil (Deliver Us From Evil #3) by Monica James

 

Deliver Us from Evil

Series: Book III: Deliver Us from Evil Trilogy

Genre: Dark Romance

Cover Model: Lochie Carey @lochie_carey

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster @lanefotograf

Cover Designer: Sommer Stein—Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Release date: July 21^st

 

Monica James

Monsters are real…and that monster is me.

I’ve surrendered. I have no other choice.

With Babydoll gone, I’m going to do whatever it takes to find her.

I will lie.

Cheat.

Murder…and I’ll do so with a smile.

I’ll even sell my soul to the devil…because that’s who my father, Sean Kelly, is. He won’t stop until Belfast is his. He knows I’m at my breaking point. Just how far will he push until I lose myself to the darkness for good?

But I’m prepared to give it all away. She’s all that matters.

However, this life isn’t done with me yet.

A startling secret threatens to destroy me, and a new player is introduced into the game. I don’t know if he is a friend or foe. What I do know is that he has the power to change the world as I know it.

He wants what is mine.

My kingdom.

My name.

And my legacy.

But I am Puck Kelly—and every monster is scared of somethin’…and that somethin’ is me.

No more hiding in the shadows because I’m huntin’ youse, and this time, I won’t lose.

Run, wee monsters, run.

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Deliver Us from Evil Playlist:
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Bio

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

 

 

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Happy Release Day Excerpt & Review : Playmaker (Moo U #8) by Sierra Hill

 

 

PLAYMAKER by SIERRA HILL

Release Date: June 7, 2021

Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

There’s no faking it in love or hockey...

Transferring to a new school under false pretenses is harder than I expected, especially when my cocky new housemate, Callan Thomas, annoys me at every pass. He’s treated like a god and revered by everyone on campus. Too bad he made me feel like a rejected fool the first night we met.

But that doesn’t stop me from accepting his offer to become his fake girlfriend, because he has skills that I need. Only Callan can help me improve my game and make the USA women’s hockey team.

I try to keep despising him, but he keeps proving my first impression was wrong. And the more time I spend with him, the more complex my feelings become. I need to tell him the truth about who I really am before anyone finds out and things go too far.

Problem is, I think they already have...

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Excerpt

It’s like the cap has been unscrewed from a bottle of soda, because inside me the fizz and excitement of talking with this beautiful and captivating girl bubbles through my blood.

I offer my hand between us. “People call me Church. What’s your name?”

She raises her eyes to me, extending her arm to place her warm hand inside my palm, where I gently cup it in mine. She’s soft and warm and I know her prickly attitude is a defense meant to throw me off.

“I’m Aria. And Is Church your last name?”

I tip my head to the side, cocking an eyebrow. “You’ve never heard of me?”

Most people at the school know who I am. Hockey is a big deal around these parts and the Moo U hockey team is royalty. Unless she’s new or a freshman, she’d certainly know who I am. And based on the statement on her tank top, she knows hockey.

By deduction, that must mean she’s new or lying, but I can’t figure out her angle or what she’d gain.

She could just be messing with me as a joke. Maybe she was sent by one of the guys to prank me.

Aria shakes her head, some of her golden-spun hair spilling over her shoulder.

“I’m new to Burlington University this semester. In fact, I just arrived today.”

I laugh. “Well, welcome. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to introduce you to one of the campus colloquialisms. Nobody calls it Burlington University. We refer to it as Moo U.”

She nods curiously, considering the validity of my suggestion, but then seems to think twice about it. “You’re serious? Moo U? Huh. Weird.”

I let out a hearty laugh and raise my hands in surrender. “I swear. Ask anyone. The school is well-known for its agricultural studies. We are in Vermont cow country. Surrounded by dairy farms and apple orchards.”

“Okay, if you say so, Church,” she says drolly, a hint of a smile around her full lips. “So, are you going to tell me why everyone calls you Church?”

I run a hand down my short beard, a reminder I still need to shave it off before the semester starts.

“Well, as you may have guessed, I’m a hockey player. Starting center. And the name was established when I played in juniors, when a kid said playing against me was just liking going to church.” I slap my hands together in a prayer position, giving her my best impression of a dutiful churchgoer. “Because when my opponents faceoff against me, they kneel and pray.”

She laughs in a fit of hysterics at this. Like seriously, full-on belly laugh, clutching at her stomach and throwing her head forward to her knees.

And I realize I think I’ve met my match.

How utterly inconvenient.

 

What I thought about Playmaker

Aria is a transfer student to Moo U and she's excited to get on the ice and play with the women's team. Her end-game is the USA Olympic Team, but with her family scandal she doesn't know if that will impact her chances. So she's using her mother's maiden name so she's not associated with her father's scandal. She meets Church/Callan at a her first party when he steps in and saves her from the advances of a drunken teammate. There's definite sparks from the start between them.

Callan is a cocky hockey player (is there any other?) and he's sworn off women after a situation that keeps following him around. Aria almost makes him break his no woman rule, and things get way more complicated when they discover they are actually roommates. But there is still a spark between them and when Aria needs help with her hockey skills and Church needs help with his situation, a deal is struck between them.

There's plenty of spark between Aria and Callan and I immediately loved these two together. It does take some time for them to really get together and they also develop a friendship, which I liked about this story. I did think there were some additional factors, such as Aria's anxiety issues that didn't add anything to the story besides giving them an excuse to get physical. I didn't think the story needed that.

The unresolved conflict they must deal with toward the end of the story is predictable and easily addressed with communication and some honesty. I was glad the author did not drag this out, and I loved how Callan responded to some real talk from Aria's friend Sophie.

Overall, I really liked this story. It's a quick and easy read, with a nice dose of hockey action.

 And there's more out today from Moo U! 

Snowballed by Melanie Ting

Release Date: June 7, 2021
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Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

She needs Prince Farming . . . but she got me instead.

Sure, life’s been easy for me. Growing up in an oceanside house in SoCal, playing top-level college hockey, driving a luxury car with a generous allowance—sounds like the dream, right? Turns out what I didn’t have was freedom. And when I decided to transfer to Moo U for my last year of hockey, my controlling father cut me off. 

No money, no car, no friends. I’m just another student struggling to make ends meet. The only place I can afford to live is the Meyers’ farm, where I’ll work in exchange for room and board. Farm work is so exhausting that I don’t even have time to wallow in the crappy turn my life has taken. Zoe Meyers is a hot blonde Amazon with all the energy of a chipmunk on crack. And her positivity is making me realize how lucky I really am, even though I’m broke. Too bad she’s not impressed by a guy who can’t figure out which end of a goat to milk.

Because suddenly I want to impress her. I want to do a lot more with her too . . . if I can get her out of the barn and into my arms.

GOALKEEPER by Andi Burns

Release Date: June 7, 2021
Add to Goodreads
Pre-Order here
Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

Winning games has always been his focus, but will winning her heart become the ultimate goal?

Everyone at Moo U knows the party doesn’t start until Paige Underwood arrives. Not only is she beautiful, she’s fun and charming too. Guys want to date her, and girls want to be her best friend. All Paige wants is to have a good time and make videos for her beauty channel--and maybe get that girl down the hall to do her eyeliner correctly. Is that too much to ask? 

According to her parents, yes. They’ve said the party’s over and that it’s time to get focused.

Spencer Briggs knows all about focus. He’s had one goal since he set foot on the ice as a kid: make it to the NHL. After years of hard work and endless practice, he’s the starting goalie for Moo U and mere steps away from his dream. He can’t afford distractions, and isn’t interested in relationships. And he definitely can’t afford to flirt back with the gorgeous girl in his lit class. 

He needs to stay serious. She needs to get serious. But now serious sparks are flying . . .